Issue - meetings

Report of the Cabinet Member Culture, Wellbeing and Business

RESOLVED THAT:

1.    the overall success of the ice rink in 2021 and the impact of the ice rink on residents and Imperial Gardens, as set out in Section 6 be noted;

2.    a temporary ice rink in Cheltenham for the 2022 Christmas period be approved, subject to:

a)    a fully costed business case;

b)    securing the necessary planning consents;

c)    procuring an operator;

d)    the final commitment being brought back to Cabinet for approval.

3.    the ability to deliver fixed power infrastructure as identified in the Council’s interim events strategy be fully assessed.

In the absence of the Cabinet Member Culture, Wellbeing and Business, the Leader of the Council presented the report, which provided an evaluation of the delivery and outcomes of the 2021 Christmas ice rink. It drew conclusions on principal learnings that would inform any future decisions on delivering another ice rink in Christmas 2022 and in future years.

The ice rink had been based in Imperial Gardens from 18th November 2021 to 2nd January 2022. During these 45 days, it attracted 43,563 skaters (more than the estimated 30k-40k) and led to increased footfall in the town centre, exceeding pre-pandemic figures.  Along with the Christmas Market, it lifted the spirits of residents and visitors and provided a much-needed boost for the local economy, with retailers reporting record takings and council-owned car parks being the busiest they had been for two years. Financially, it covered its costs and made a small £5k surplus, with clear scope for this to be built upon.

She emphasised that this was a major achievement considering the challenges of the pandemic, and thanked all those who contributed to delivering its overall success. Should Cabinet agree to bring an ice rink back to Cheltenham in 2022, they would benefit from longer lead times for generating ticket sales, be able to build on key learnings from 2021, and have fewer obstacles in order to live safely with Covid.

The recommendations in the report included an early commitment to organise and deliver an ice rink for Christmas 2022, thus allowing sufficient time to secure the necessary planning consents, undertake a robust procurement of an operator, implement the proposed changes outlined in the report and improve upon the delivery, financial performance and wider outcomes achieved in 2021.

The Cabinet Member Housing added that it was a fantastic facility to have, especially after the last few years. Families had come from all around to have fun there, and he was especially pleased that discounted and free tickets were offered through No Child Left Behind. The £5k surplus was a positive but the economic boost to the surrounding area would have been much larger.

The Cabinet Member Climate Emergency noted that it had attracted around a thousand visitors a day on average, which was very impressive. It was a genuinely fun thing for people and families to do, and had provided a massive boost to the area.

The Leader moved to the vote, where it was unanimously:

RESOLVED THAT:

1.    the overall success of the ice rink in 2021 and the impact of the ice rink on residents and Imperial Gardens, as set out in Section 6 be noted;

2.    a temporary ice rink in Cheltenham for the 2022 Christmas period be approved, subject to:

a)    a fully costed business case;

b)    securing the necessary planning consents;

c)    procuring an operator;

d)    the final commitment being brought back to Cabinet for approval.

3.    the ability to deliver fixed power infrastructure as identified in the Council’s interim events strategy be fully assessed.